Too often, we hit obstacles that prevent us from exploring and creating, especially in unfamiliar mediums. The best way to create is to start creating. Teenage Engineering knows this all too well, and they design products that seem to open infinite paths to creativity despite their restrictive designs.

In late 1932 Mr. Blaisdell decided to reconstruct the Austrian lighter. He fabricated a small rectangular case and attached a lid with a hinge. He preserved the chimney design which protected the flame. The result was an attractive lighter that was easily operated with one hand. The name “Zippo” was created by Mr Blaisdell. He liked the sound of the word “zipper” so he formed variations on the word until he settled on “Zippo,” which he felt had a “modern” sound. – Zippo

The Rubik’s Cube is a 3-D combination puzzle originally invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. Originally called the Magic Cube, the puzzle was licensed by Rubik to be sold by Ideal Toy Corp in 1980 via businessman Tibor Laczi and Seven Towns founder Tom Kremer.

In 1979, Rapper’s Delight, by the Sugar Hill Gang, dropped. Produced by Sylvia Robinson on Sugar Hill Records, Rappers Delight sampled the iconic bass line that would make this an epic hit.

While the accordion’s origins are debated, historians agree that German instrument maker Christian Friedrich Buschmann introduced the first true accordion in 1822. Two hundred years later, the accordion’s acclaim has spread across the globe and continues to contribute to folk tunes from Austria to Argentina.

What if we actually had to pay for our mistakes? This idea sounds silly but think of everything you returned (or wanted to return) last year. Everything you overbought with "free shipping" now needs to travel back to the vendor (and not get damaged in transit). Then, since you decided you didn't want it and would prefer the money, you half-pack it up and send it back. 

“Style is the answer to everything. A fresh way to approach a dull or dangerous thing. To do a dull thing with style is preferable to doing a dangerous thing without it. To do a dangerous thing with style is what I call art… Boxing can be an art. Loving can be an art. Opening a can of sardines can be an art… Not many have style. Not many can keep style… style is the difference, a way of doing, a way of being done.” 

– Charles Bukowski

Founded in 1905 as the Star Furniture Co, Herman Miller Inc. is an American company that produces office furniture, equipment, and home furnishings, including the Aeron Chair, Noguchi Table, Marshmallow sofa, and the Eames line of furnishings. As part of the furnishing family, the Eames Shell Chair was designed on the principle of adaptability, offering various configurations to serve multiple applications and environments. It makes the chair a classic worthy of museum collections, living rooms, laundromats, lobbies, and cafés.

The first step is to choose a pack appropriately suited for your body. This includes the pack’s capacity, size, shape, and ability to adjust and maneuver. Packing a few weeks prior to your hike is ideal, so you can get comfortable with it, break it in, and test out different packing techniques. Additionally, all of this will help the pack properly adjust to your body.

On November 1, 2007, Sufjan Stevens premiered a mixed-media work of art at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The show consisted of an original film directed by Stevens, accompanied by an orchestra performing a live soundtrack. Sufjan is known for combining unexpected sounds and mediums, so having three hula-hoopers adorning the performance was almost a given.

Damascus forged steel is arguably one of the strongest metals on earth. The steel is so strong it can retain its edge even after multiple uses. Swordmakers first used it back between the ninth and the 11th century. It was well-known after a battle that Damascus steel swords would still retain an incredibly sharp edge. Not only is this steel known for being strong but also flexible; it can retain a bend far past the limits of average steel.

On a recent trip from South Carolina to Alabama, like all over the south, I saw a billboard sign for Chick-fil-A outside Atlanta, GA. At that moment, I exclaimed to my wife and daughter, “have you ever been to the original Chick-fil-A?” They said no, and neither had I. “Look it up! It has something to do with little or dwarf,” I told them. They thought I was out of my mind, but I knew the OG had something to do with these terms. Sure enough, she found The Dwarf House.

DFA is a record label based out of Brooklyn, New York. Over the past twenty years, they have released numerous titles. Many of their records have become the foundation & gateway to much of my musical influence & inspiration.

With the formation of the record label, founders Jonathan Galkin, James Murphy, and Tim Goldsworthy were looking to fill a void and recapture the spirit that was gone from New York. DFA was born out of frustration from the absence of the music they wanted, as Jonathan Galkin states, “we were nostalgic for something we didn’t actually remember.”

Founded in 2006, YETI started making coolers and has since expanded into drinkware, apparel, and even dog bowls. They have developed a cult following due to the high quality of their product. As a result, YETI products have gained worldwide fans.

When we play, we discover. Too often, our creative work becomes crippled by the expectations we impose. The purpose of Play is not to ponder but instead to start excavating through the mundane. The medium itself is less important than how we choose to use it. Our explorations are often met with failure but can lead to uncovering the extraordinary. Recording these explorations can be expensive, so invest proportionally to your strategy.

Free and open to the public, White Gravel Mines became host to thousands per year, seeking the unique experience of touring an abandoned mine, only to exit having heard and seen the gospel. Each year, the mine transforms itself from the Easter experience, including vast amounts of artwork, lights, music, and scripture boards telling the truth of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, to the Christmas experience using the same medium to tell the story of His birth.

Love Hultén is an audiovisual artist and woodworker working in Gothenburg, Sweden. He produced one-of-a-kind pieces of Art that take the form of synthesizers, noise-makers, and arcade games. Hultén’s work combines a wide range of disciplines; woodworking, user interface design, sound engineering, and most of all, good taste.

Photographs, for me, encapsulate my more profound understanding of a subject, and they have become my way of contextualizing the world around me. Like many others, I am a spatial learner, meaning I learn and remember best through visual communication, which hints at my love for the photograph.

An alley-oop in basketball is an offensive play in which one player throws the ball near the basket to a teammate who jumps, catches the ball in mid-air and slam dunks it before touching the ground.

The alley-oop combines elements of teamwork, pinpoint passing, timing and finishing.

– Wikipedia

Some mashups just work. Despite being an unlikely candidate, Charles Martinet decided to read for the role of Mario, the popular character from the Nintendo video games. His impromptu goofy take on an Italian Mario cut through and won over the hearts of Nintendo.